Lubrication warning signal switch



Sept'. 22, 1953 A. KELLENBENZ 2,653,205

LUBRICATION WARNING V SIGNAL SWITCH Filed April 14, 195o 2 sheets-sheet 1 o i i i l@ g8 Z 26 25 j 716 ATTO R N EY .A. KELLENBENZ LUBRICATION WRNING SIGNAL SWITCH Sept. 22, 1953 zsneets-sheet 2 Filed April 14, 1950 ATTOR N EY Patented Sept. 22, 1953 f' vv 2,653,205

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LUBRICATION WARNING SIGNAL SWITCH Alexander Kellenbenz, Browns Mills, N. J.

Application April 14, 1950, Serial No. 155,965

Claims.

The object of the invention is to provide improvements in lubrication warning signal switches that are adapted for use with many if not all types of machines, mechanisms, vehicles, etc., that require periodic lubrication, it being understood, however, that throughout the following description and appended claims all references to vehicles in general and to automobiles in particular are to be understood as equally relating to all types of devices and mechanisms to which the invention is applicable. To illustrate more speciicallyI the invention is as well adapted to be actuated by and for the purpose of counting the strokes of a reciprocatory element, such for example as the movable bed of a planer or Shaper, as it is to be actuated by the revolutions of the engine of a motor-driven vehicle or the wheels of the same.

It is a well recognized fact that the great majority of automobile drivers pay little or noattention to the mileage run, and consequently to the need of lubricating the car as a whole, or at least to completely renew the lubricant in the differential, transmission and motor, so that all too frequently the gears become unduly worn and/or one or more bearings burn out before relubrication is seriously thought of. After such a happening, the car owner almost invariably feels that had he been effectively warned by some foolproof automatic means, he would have had the mechanisms of the vehicle properly taken care of.

An object, therefore, is to provide a relatively simple and inexpensive device, that with a minimum of trouble can be operatively inserted between the transmission mechanism and the normally adjacent end of the usual flexible .shaft by which power is conveyed to the cyclometer (or socalled speedometerj of which the actual speed indicating function is but a fractional part) With which all cars are equipped, or which as far as function and operativeness are concerned may be positioned between said flexible shaft and the cyclometer-speedometer unit, or in fact between two sections of such flexible shaft.

Another object is to provide a device of this class, which essentially comprises a speed-reducing mechanism, but which also includes means for presetting such mechanism, whereby the motor and/or wheel revolutions of a vehicle having a known ratio of wheel revolutions to mileage covered will cause the alarm to function after the vehicle has covered a predetermined distance, may be varied, or whereby the device may l5; `struction and operation, which are hereinafter be set to respond and cause the alarm to function after a given distance by vehicles having different ratios of wheel revolutions to the mileage covered.

A further object is to construct the device in such manner, that the presetting of the device, to accommodate the same to either of the two conditions mentioned, is simply effected from outside the casing that encloses and protects the idevices mechanism, and is secured at such desired setting with the utmost simplicity of action and mechanical details.

With a few of the objects thus briefly set forth, the invention comprises further details of confully brought out in the accompanying specifin cation, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. l is a diagrammatic view representing the connections bettween an alarm signal and a cyclometer carried by or in the vicinity of a representative form of instrument panel, the differential of the car and a device comprising one embodiment of the invention interposed therebetween; Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the alarm-actuating mechanism per se; Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the device from one side to the other; Fig. l is a vertical section substantially on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a fragmentary vertical longitudinal section through the worm of Fig. 3 and its bearings; Fig. 6 is an enlarged section through the insulated mounting of the electrical lead carried by and upon the front wall or". the device; and Fig. 7 is a wiring diagram showing how the device comprising the invention is cperatively connected with an alarm element, battery and Switch in an electric circuit.

Referring to the drawings, any representative form of automobile instrument panel I is shown in Fig. l as being provided with any desired type of cyclometer-speedometer l and a signal means,

which is represented by the casing 2 that depends from said panel, but which instead may comprise an integral part of the panel itself. Within said casing is an electric lamp 3 (Fig. 7), but instead of or in addition to` such lamp an audible signal may be employed. If a lamp used as a visible signal, it may be augmented if desired by a transparent or translucent frontai medium, carrying such a phrase as Time :for Your XYZ Service, or the like. This signal ele ment is electrically connected to and is controlled by the device 4, that comprises theinyention hereinafter described in detail, said signal and said device being electrically connected in series 3 (Fig. 7) with a switch 5 and a battery 6, and the circuit if desired being partially completed through grounding the same to the metal frame of the vehicle.

In all modern automobiles, the gearing by means of which the ratio of engine speed with respect to the revolutions of the vehicle wheels is determined, is contained within a protective housing 1, that is customarily termed and hereinafter willbe referred-to `as the transmission, a portion of one wall of which is shown at 8 in Fig. 3 as being provided with an opening 9, surrounded by a laterally protruding externally threaded boss I0, normally covered by means of-a similarly threaded cap II. with a central opening I2 through which extends one end of a generally tubular adapter I3, that has a peripheral flange I4 that is secured between the outer free end of said-boss I and the innerv surface of said cap. Theiopposite or outer end of said adapter Ais likewise provided-with a peripheral flange I5, thatispositioned within `an in wardly flanged capllijcarriedibyV the outer end portion of a threaded bearing bushing I1, that in turnvis vthreaded throughan opening I8 `in the upper 'end of one side Wallof the new alarm'or warning control device 4.

This device comprises a boxlike housing characterized by what will be referred to as a rear wall 20,"side walls 2|" and 22,a top wall 23 and a bottom wall 24,'the front of said housing initially being open and normally spanned `by a cover plate or wall 25,'secured in place by a plurality of screws 25'; The opening- I8 extends through the side Wall 22, while a correspondingopening 2B alignment withsaid -first wall opening, in said second wall opening is-fsim'ilarly positioned a second threaded bearing-bushing 21, that also protrudes from said housing and carries a cap 28, which surrounds and secures in xed position the flange 29 of a flexible tub`e`-3 vjthrough which rotatably extends whatv might be termed the driving end of a iiexible shaft' 3|` of square (or at least polygon-al)4 crosssection, the opposite end of said shaft being connected to and operative to actuate the usual cyclometer-speedometer I on the instrument panel.

The shaft end 3| enters an axially positioned recess of corresponding cross section 32 in a worm gear 33, in the opposite end of which is a similar polygonal recess 34, into which extends a correspondingly shaped'sha-ft 35 that leads outwardly from Within the transmission housing. Said worm is preferably Yprovided with reduced end portions 35that rotate within the axial bores 31 of the said bushings I1 and 21 as bearings for said worm, and with shoulders -38l that slidably engage the adjacent end surfaces of said bushings,` to prevent said worm from shifting longi tudinally from its predetermined operative position withvrespect to a gear with which it meshes as hereinafter described.`

The inner surface of the rear -wall is provided with two apertured bosses 40 and 4I in which are rotatably mounted shafts 42 and 43, re-4 spectively, the rst mentioned of said shaftsl large gear 48," which frictionally engages a disci 43 having at--one-Apoint-adjacent to its periphery This` cap isV provided extends throughwthe opposite side wall 2| `in- The ysion of a plate 55, that is provided at one point adjacent to its periphery with a lug 5E. Said pointer and plate are secured in any desired angular position with respect to consecutive numerals, or other suitable indicia, upon the outer surface "ofasa-idlcover plate by means of a set screw 53'. Said numerals, which for illustrative purposes" progress from l to 17, represent pointer-disc settings that correspond with the engine-revolutioneto-distance#travelled ratio of various makes1 'ofautomobiles` The-train of gears and pinions comprise a speed-reducing series, that `greatly' reduces the.V effective speed'of'thetransmissionedriven shaft 35in` its; relation-to thel pointer 53, so that for one vehicleiand corresponding pointer setting at 17, the disc 49` lrotatesithrough nearly a c0111-,

plete revolution, while such vehicleistravelling a thousandf miles,n whereas a pointer `setting at.

10 for another vehicle having a'difierent ratio will permit-'said discto rotateonly about one# half` of a complete revolution before the lug '50 makes electricalcontact with'the contact post 51,

and thereby energizes'the signal 3. The Contact post 51- extends1 through a much larger aperture 5S 'in said cover plate; and 'is insulated from metallic contact therewith by means of any suit-Y able arrangement of intervening non-conductive washers 59 and 60;-one'of whiclrisupon the inner side whilethe other'is upon the outer side of said cover plate. The stopproper is'the reduced inner end portion of astud 6I', `that has a peripheral flange 62 adjacent to its inner end, while "its outer end is upsetat 53 inengagement with a metallic washer* $4;l Said stop is'furthermore provided with afthreaded axialbore 65 :that extends inwardly from itsouter end, and adjustably receives a screw A65`^by which a lead wire is,l

secured to said stop;

In the operation of this deviceyit -is iirst installed in the position shown with respect to the transmission and vthe flexible' shaft," that in the absence of vsaid device causes the cyclometer- 'speedometer to rotate in accordance with the speed of a lmoto'r'a11:l/or the vehicle wheels. The pointer 53 Ais preset according to the numerals l to fl', to correspond with the speed ratio'of the particular vehicle,` as hereinbefore` referred to, and fixedly set by the screw 53. In

setting said pointer, the `Vlug 55 by engagement with the lug causes the disc 49 'to be shifted against frictional engagement'. with the gear 48, so that when the vehicle is driven the prescribed distance, rotationof saidigear 48 will'elect cor-j responding rotation of the lug 50 until it reaches and directlyv engages the contact post :51 and actuates the alarm or signal. Obviously, if the driver of the vehicle prefers to have the signal function within a lessdistanca'such for example as 500 instead of 1000'miles,he willset the pointer soas to-permit said disc- 49 and lug -50 to rotate but one-half as far beforecontact of said lug with said post closes the `signal circuit.

Having thus describedfmywinventionf whatl I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A circuit closer for a service indicator, comprising a rotatable arm provided with a stop, a shaft rotatable with a vehicle wheel, a reduction gear chain, a disc in frictional engagement with one of the gears of said chain and provided with a Contact engageable with said stop in one direction of rotation and operative to engage said first contact as said disc is rotated by said gear chain, said disc being provided with an axial extension journalled in said arm by which said disc can be manually rotated reversely until it engages said stop as a starting point for normal rotation, and means to maintain said arm and said stop in a normally xed position.

2. A circuit closer for a service indicator, comprising a rotata-ble arm provided With an axially projecting stop, an indicating pointer rotatable with said arm, means to normally iix the position of said arin, a shaft rotatable with a vehicle Wheel, a reduction gear chain, and a disc in frictional engagement With one of the gears of said chain and provided with a contact engageable with said stop in one direction of rotation, and operative to engage said first contact as said disc is rotated by said gear chain in the opposite direction, means between said disk and arm maintaining said frictional engagement, said disc being provided with an axial extension concentric with said arm and by which said disc can be manually rotated reversely until it engages said stop as a starting point.

3.* A circuit closer for a service indicator, comprising a rotatable arm provided With an axially projecting stop, an indicating pointer rotatable with said arm, means to normally fix the position of said arm, a shaft rotatable with a vehicle wheel, a reduction gear chain, and a disc in frictional engagement With one of the gears of said chain and provided with a contact engageable AWith said stop in one direction of rotation, 'and operative to engage said first contact as said disc is rotated by said gear chain in the opposite direction, said disc being provided with an axial extension by which said disc can be manually rotated reversely until it engages said stop as a starting point, and a shaft for said gear chain projecting through said disc and into an axial bore in said axial extension as a bearing.

4. A circuit closer for a service indicator, comprising a stop, a disc rotatable with a vehicle wheel, a stationary contact, and a second disc in frictional engagement with said rst disc, provided With a Contact engageable with said stop in one direction of rotation, and operative to engage said first Contact as said second disc is rotated by said rst disc, means between said disk and arm maintaining said frictional engagement, and means journalled in and extending outwardly beyond said stop operative to manually rotate said second disc until it engages said stop as a starting point for manual rotation, and means to maintain said stop in a normally xed position.

5. A circuit closer for a service indicator, comprising a rotatable arm provided with an axially projecting stop, an indicating pointer rotatable with said arm, means to normally x the position of said arm, a disc rotatable concurrently with a vehicle wheel, and a second disc in frictional engagement with said first disc and provided With a contact engageable With said stop in one direction oi rotation, and operative to engage said first contact as said second disc is rotated by said first disc in the opposite direction, said second disc being provided With an axial extension by which it can be manually rotated reversely until it engages said stop as a starting point, and a shaft for said first disc projecting through said second disc and into an axial bore in said axial extension as a bearing, said shaft extending through and being journalled in said rotatable arm, and means mounted on said shaft and disposed 4between said disk and arm maintaining said frictional engagement.

ALEANDER KELLENBENZ.

I References Cited in the iile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,130,290 Polta et al Sept. 13, 1938 2,492,408 Willcox Dec. 27, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS- Number Country Date 879,088 France Nov. 10, 1942 

